Language is the only homeland; Nest, The Hague

Newell Harry

I went to the present group show at Nest Language is the only homeland to write a review for Villa La Repubblica. Click here to read the review (in Dutch).

Newell Harry

I strongly recommend this well balanced exhibition in which works by six artists from different parts of the world are presented.

Newell Harry

As i have already written extensively on this show on VLR, i leave you here just with some impressions and details.

Newell Harry

Marcel Pinas

Marcel Pinas

Marcel Pinas

Marcel Pinas

Marcel Pinas

Marcel Pinas

Moffat Takadiwa

Moffat Takadiwa

Moffat Takadiwa

Judith Westerveld

Judith Westerveld

Parastou Forouhar

Parastou Forouhar

Parastou Forouhar

Parastou Forouhar

Moffat Takadiwa

Moffat Takadiwa

Moffat Takadiwa

Tintin Wulia

Tintin Wulia

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2018

Content of all photographs courtesy to the artists and to Nest, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

Chen Hangfeng, Excited with no reason; SinArts Gallery, The Hague

I visited Chen Hangfeng’s (1974) present show at SinArts Gallery to write a review for Villa La Repubblica. Click here to read the review (in Dutch).

As i’ve already written quite extensively in VLR about the show, and as the exhibition is accompanied by an excellent essay, i leave you here with a few pictures.

Even better is, of course, to visit the show yourself.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa La Repubblica 2018

Content of all photographs courtesy to Chen Hangfeng and SinArts Gallery, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

Hamid El Kanbouhi, HIST-I-O-R-Y / L’affare del secolo; 1646, The Hague

I visited Hamid El Kanbouhi’s (1976) present show at 1646 to write a review for Villa La Repubblica. Click here to read the review (in Dutch).

I must say i have my serious doubts about Kanbouhi’s installation (dubbed a “fake installation” by himself).

As far as i’m concerned there are discrepancies between the mythology and the personal, or between the possible message and its quality.

On the other hand there is also something quaintly intriguing about it.

But anyway, i’ve written about that in the VLR article, so you’d better see it all for yourself and make up your own mind.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2018

Content of all photographs courtesy to Hamid El Kanbouhi and 1646, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

Karin van Dam & Ed Pien, The Path of the Caterpillar; Galerie Maurits van de Laar, The Hague

Karin van Dam

Artists Karin van Dam  (1959) and Ed Pien  (1958) have known each other for quite a long time and presently at Galerie Maurits van de Laar they show the results of some shared experiences from Canada, where they went literally underground.

Karin van Dam

Ed Pien

Karin van Dam

The creepy crawlies that cover your body when you lay still in a huge pit or the underground life and architecture of the crust of our planet in mining corridors have triggered their imagination.

Karin van Dam

Karin van Dam

Karin van Dam

The graphite used by Van Dam is of course delved from that same earth crust and indeed in her work she improvises on the idea of the building stones of the earth we live and walk on.

Karin van Dam

Karin van Dam

Ed Pien

Ed Pien

Pien bases his works presently on show on natural processes, especially the influence of salt water on black paper.

Ed Pien

Ed Pien

Ed Pien

He allowed the paper to dry and used the resulting salt patterns for his compositions.

Ed Pien

Ed Pien

Karin van Dam

The combination of the works of both artists makes for a great, surprising reflection on the composition of the earth under our feet and the inspiration and the sheer endless imagination it gives.

Ed Pien

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2018

Contents of all photographs courtesy to Karin van Dam, Ed Pien and Galerie Maurits van de Laar, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

Shigeo Arikawa and Bas Wiegmink, Senses of Memory; Galerie Helder, The Hague

Bas Wiegmink

I visited the duo show Senses of Memory with works by Shigeo Arikawa (1982) and Bas Wiegmink (1977) at Galerie Helder to write a review for Villa La Repubblica. Click here to read the review (in Dutch).

Shigeo Arikawa

As i already wrote quite extensively about the show in VLR, i leave you here with some additional details that caught my eye.

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Shigeo Arikawa

Shigeo Arikawa

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Shigeo Arikawa

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Bas Wiegmink

Shigeo Arikawa

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2018

Content of all photographs courtesy to Shigeo Arikawa, Bas Wiegmink and Galerie Helder, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

Casper Verborg, A white horse is not a horse; Hoorn & Reniers, The Hague

I visited Hoorn & Reniers gallery to write a review about Casper Verborg’s (1981) present show a white horse is not a horse for Villa La Repubblica. Click here to read the review (in Dutch).

As it happened i focused especially on one work, offspring, a painting with amongst others the presidents Kim and Trump and a lemon yellow gorilla.

But of course there is a lot more recent and surprising work on show.

As i have already written extensively in VLR about the show, i leave you here with some of the many details that attracted my attention.

Best is, evidently, to visit the show yourself and have a close look.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2018

Content of all photographs courtesy to Casper Vergorg and Noorn & Reniers, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

Joncquil and Ton van Kints; Galerie Ramakers, The Hague

Joncquil

IS WORDT WAS (“IS BECOMES WAS”) it says in neon on a bench by Joncquil (1973).

Joncquil

Joncquil

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

In a way that defines this fine dialogue/exhibition of works by him and by Ton van Kints (1955) at Galerie Ramakers.

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Joncquil

Objectifying time is one of the themes in Joncquil’s work and as such also stresses that theme as a narrative in Van Kints’ works.

Joncquil

Joncquil

Joncquil

Ton van Kints

Van Kints makes, amongst others, ‘new’ works by remaking or renewing older ones.

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

In that process he also piled some of his older distinctive ‘cuckoo nests’ and provided them with a new shiny top.

Ton van Kints

Joncquil

Ton van Kints

These piles have become wall sculptures of time in themselves, while their tops, looking like large, lustrous eyes, give a reflection of the present if you stand in front of them.

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Joncquil

Ton van Kints

His rectangular works presently on show may also look faintly familiar to those who know Van Kints’ works as they too didn’t escape reworking, or rebirth.

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Joncquil

It may also show the difference in generation between Joncquil and Van Kints.

Joncquil

Joncquil

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

While Joncquil is expanding his horizons in different disciplines, Van Kints reflects on his practices, deepening his knowledge and aesthetics.

Ton van Kints

Ton van Kints

Joncquil

Ton van Kints

As such, in both oeuvres a more retrospective presentation in the near future would obviously be most welcome.

Joncquil

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2018

Contents of all photographs courtesy to Joncquil, Ton van Kints and Galerie Ramakers, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters

 

De Ploeg by the Sea; Gemeentemuseum, The Hague

Jan Wiegers

Artist’s movement De Ploeg (‘The Plough’) was founded in 1918 by amongst others the painters Jan Wiegers (1893-1959), Johan Dijkstra (1896-1978) and Jan Jordens (1883-1962) in the Northern city of Groningen.

Jan Wiegers

Jan Wiegers

De Ploeg tried to plough the field of the arts after the First World War.

Jan Wiegers

Johan Dijkstra

Its centenary is especially celebrated in Groningen this year, but the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague has presently made a very fine selection of its collection of graphic works by De Ploeg’s founding and pre-War members.

Jan Wiegers

Jan Wiegers

From 1921 onwards De Ploeg was heavily influenced by German Expressionism, especially by Kirchner’s works.

Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman

Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman

Although some members, notably the great printmaker H. N. Werkman (1882-1945), had good international contacts, De Ploeg never became an internationally renowned movement , like De Stijl, probably also because it had no clear manifesto or influential periodical.

Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman

Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman

Apart from people like Werkman the movement became more conservative toward the Second World War.

Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman

Jan Wiegers

Today De Ploeg in name still exists, but its members, though fine professionals, with their moderately modernist style are a far cry indeed from the movement’s revolutionary roots.

Jan Jordens

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

© Villa Next Door 2018

Content of all photographs courtesy to the Gemeentemusem, Den Haag

Bertus Pieters